Egyptian filmmaker Yousef Shahin has recently finished with the script of a new film that depicts his relation with the US, described by him as “a story of 75 years, all my life time.”
In a dialogue published by the French magazine les Cahieres du Cinema in its December 1 issue, Shahin expressed his “anger at the US and its blatant misjudgment of Islam.”
The celebrated yet controversial director pointed out that he was not surprised with the September 11 attacks. He told the French magazine’s editor in chief, Charles Tasson, in his meeting with him in Cairo on November 10, that “I was not pleased with the attacks but they were inevitable.”
“While all countries oppose Israel’s conception of terrorism, Sharon insisted on going ahead with devastating properties and murdering people,” said Shahin, adding that Sharon became angry and set out chasing people when his supporter (Minister of Tourism) was killed on October 17. He has a list of people whom he plans to assassinate, added Shahin.
The Egyptian director also accused the US of “strangling” media saying, “they make a big mistake when they use the term terrorist and give themselves the right to define who is a terrorist and who isn’t, particularly in the wake of September 11 attacks. This way they are terrorists.”
Shahin pointed out that in the past, the Americans considered the Japanese and then the Russians as terrorists but when this stopped, they turned towards the Arabs and Muslims accusing them of terrorism. The US hatred for the Arabs is unbelievable.”
Shahin said he loves New York, where he received his training, and that said that he felt a deep wound. He expressed his sorrow because, as he said, his anger at the US and love for it at the same time had made him concerned with the possibility that people would think, even for a second, that the Americans deserved what happened to them – Albawaba.com
